The present invention relates generally to telecommunication systems, and more particularly, to a desktop telephony application for a call center agent.
Conventional systems include desktop application programs that control a telephone pad. These desktop application programs are able to dial an outbound call on behalf of a user. Such desktop application programs, however, are limited in several respects. These desktop application programs are not configurable to be integrated with an answering service so as to customize what calls are received. Second, these desktop application programs do not maintain status information about a user or agent who is using the desktop application program. Third, such desktop application programs either do not include a phone book or include a very limited phone book.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a method is practiced in a call center that has a call distributor for distributing calls and a telephony server for generating events regarding calling activities in the call system. The call center also includes an agent station that has a telephone set and an agent computer system. In accordance with this method, an interface is provided that enables the computer system to interface with the telephony server and the call distributor to collect call information and events. A client application program is provided on the agent computer system to receive events from the interface and that produce a user interface on the display device for enabling the agent to handle calls. The client application is registered with the interface so the agent receives calls having only selected characteristics (such as selected DNIS values). A call is then received at the agent station that exhibits the selected characteristics.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, multiple phone books are provided for use by a user of a computer system. Each phone book contains entries that list phone numbers. The phone books include at least two phone books that include different logical groupings of entries. Contents of a selected one of the phone books is displayed on the display device. The user accesses the displayed contents of the selected phone book to cause an outbound call to be placed to a phone number that is listed in an entry that is part of the displayed contents of the selected phone book.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, state information is maintained regarding whether an agent in a call center is working or on break. Information is also maintained regarding what type of break the agent is taking. A user interface is generated on the display device with an application program. The user interface includes an element for the agent to indicate that the agent is taking a break and for indicating the type of break that the agent is taking. The state information is updated in response to the agent using the user interface to indicate that the agent is on break and to indicate the type of break the agent is taking.